Tag: Practice

“Ignorant people make good people look like superheroes all around the world and we should do more talking about God,the good things on the news,and the positive results we are getting our conversations, communities, and daily worship.” ~Jon Barnes

Superheroes

I tell all of my students that good students work smarter, try harder, and practice improving their skills to help themselves and others to achieve good objectives.Aligning your motives and objectives in the right direction can be a challenge.Super Heroes find a way to walk in that path towards God, with each step in daily worship.

Super Charged

Silly negative issues do not stop Superheroes from working hard and staying on task.They recognize the silly little tricks of the enemy and move onto the next good solution.No time is wasted on the lessons learned, while quickly fixing many problems that are encountered daily.Bullies try to control you with fear, with remembering past sins, and guilt to kick you off course from improving and growing in God.

Super Cool

Develop Super Cool work habits, ethics, and ideas to enhance your family, the workplace, and your daily walk with God.In these relationships, you can test all the biblical principles your are reading, learning, and following to ask God questions to get much-needed guidance and answers. Don’t talk to people being used by the devil.Just walk away and let God fight them.

Today’s Question

What Super Question did you ask God about today and what did tell you?

Enjoy The Reading

2 Chronicles 35

Josiah Celebrates Passover

35 Then Josiah announced that the Passover of the Lord would be celebrated in Jerusalem, and so the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.[a]2 Josiah also assigned the priests to their duties and encouraged them in their work at the Temple of the Lord.3 He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the Lord: “Put the holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer need to carry it back and forth on your shoulders. Now spend your time serving the Lord your God and his people Israel.4 Report for duty according to the family divisions of your ancestors, following the directions of King David of Israel and the directions of his son Solomon.

5 “Then stand in the sanctuary at the place appointed for your family division and help the families assigned to you as they bring their offerings to the Temple.6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, purify yourselves, and prepare to help those who come. Follow all the directions that the Lord gave through Moses.”

7 Then Josiah provided 30,000 lambs and young goats for the people’s Passover offerings, along with 3,000 cattle, all from the king’s own flocks and herds.8 The king’s officials also made willing contributions to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of God’s Temple, gave the priests 2,600 lambs and young goats and 300 cattle as Passover offerings.9 The Levite leaders—Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad—gave 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 cattle to the Levites for their Passover offerings.

10 When everything was ready for the Passover celebration, the priests and the Levites took their places, organized by their divisions, as the king had commanded.11 The Levites then slaughtered the Passover lambs and presented the blood to the priests, who sprinkled the blood on the altar while the Levites prepared the animals.12 They divided the burnt offerings among the people by their family groups, so they could offer them to the Lord as prescribed in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.13 Then they roasted the Passover lambs as prescribed; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, kettles, and pans, and brought them out quickly so the people could eat them.

14 Afterward the Levites prepared Passover offerings for themselves and for the priests—the descendants of Aaron—because the priests had been busy from morning till night offering the burnt offerings and the fat portions. The Levites took responsibility for all these preparations.

15 The musicians, descendants of Asaph, were in their assigned places, following the commands that had been given by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s seer. The gatekeepers guarded the gates and did not need to leave their posts of duty, for their Passover offerings were prepared for them by their fellow Levites.

16 The entire ceremony for the Lord’s Passover was completed that day. All the burnt offerings were sacrificed on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had commanded.17 All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.18 Never since the time of the prophet Samuel had there been such a Passover. None of the kings of Israel had ever kept a Passover as Josiah did, involving all the priests and Levites, all the people of Jerusalem, and people from all over Judah and Israel.19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

Josiah Dies in Battle

20 After Josiah had finished restoring the Temple, King Neco of Egypt led his army up from Egypt to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and Josiah and his army marched out to fight him.[b]21 But King Neco sent messengers to Josiah with this message:

“What do you want with me, king of Judah? I have no quarrel with you today! I am on my way to fight another nation, and God has told me to hurry! Do not interfere with God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”

22 But Josiah refused to listen to Neco, to whom God had indeed spoken, and he would not turn back. Instead, he disguised himself and led his army into battle on the plain of Megiddo.23 But the enemy archers hit King Josiah with their arrows and wounded him. He cried out to his men, “Take me from the battle, for I am badly wounded!”

24 So they lifted Josiah out of his chariot and placed him in another chariot. Then they brought him back to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried there in the royal cemetery. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.25 The prophet Jeremiah composed funeral songs for Josiah, and to this day choirs still sing these sad songs about his death. These songs of sorrow have become a tradition and are recorded in The Book of Laments.

26 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion (carried out according to what was written in the Law of the Lord),27 from beginning to end—all are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

“Today I learned how to swim using the breaststroke from the lifeguard during my swimming exercises and it is fun to use a group of different muscles in my routine.” ~ Jon Barnes

Step

Sometimes you need someone to explain each little step of a movement before you can understand how to apply the motions.Ashley compartmentalized the movements for me and I can do it now.Allow God to compartmentalize each step you take so that you can see the big picture with your daily exercises.

Swim

Focusing on the fundamental top part of the movement helps me to practice one thing at a time.I began to feel comfortable in the water with the new concept and it was fun being relaxed about it.My muscles got a really good workout and I have a new routine to mix up with the fun of swimming. Next, I’ll apply the bottom half of the exercise soon.

Rhythm

Once I could easily breathe and organize my rhythm of movements, I will keep learning more about swimming. God would like for us to become more comfortable in learning more about Him and His Ways.Take the time to read, learn, listen, and try some new movements in your walk with God to grow your understanding, while swimming in your spirituality. He is your lifeguard and instructor.

Today’s Question

Are you learning new things from God, your lifeguard?

Enjoy The Reading

2 Chronicles 25

Amaziah Rules in Judah

25 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin[a] from Jerusalem.2 Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not wholeheartedly.

3 When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father.4 However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the Lord as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.”[b]

5 Then Amaziah organized the army, assigning generals and captains[c] for all Judah and Benjamin. He took a census and found that he had an army of 300,000 select troops, twenty years old and older, all trained in the use of spear and shield.6 He also paid about 7,500 pounds[d] of silver to hire 100,000 experienced fighting men from Israel.

7 But a man of God came to him and said, “Your Majesty, do not hire troops from Israel, for the Lord is not with Israel. He will not help those people of Ephraim!8 If you let them go with your troops into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up.”

9 Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?”

The man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this!”10 So Amaziah discharged the hired troops and sent them back to Ephraim. This made them very angry with Judah, and they returned home in a great rage.

11 Then Amaziah summoned his courage and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where they killed 10,000 Edomite troops from Seir.12 They captured another 10,000 and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, dashing them to pieces on the rocks below.

13 Meanwhile, the hired troops that Amaziah had sent home raided several of the towns of Judah between Samaria and Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

14 When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them!15 This made the Lord very angry, and he sent a prophet to ask, “Why do you turn to gods who could not even save their own people from you?”

16 But the king interrupted him and said, “Since when have I made you the king’s counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!”

So the prophet stopped with this warning: “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel.”

17 After consulting with his advisers, King Amaziah of Judah sent this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash,[e] the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!”[f]

18 But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!

19 “You are saying, ‘I have defeated Edom,’ and you are very proud of it. But my advice is to stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?”

20 But Amaziah refused to listen, for God was determined to destroy him for turning to the gods of Edom.21 So King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah.22 Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home.23 King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah’s king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he brought him to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet[g] of Jerusalem’s wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.24 He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-edom. He also seized the treasures of the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria.

25 King Amaziah of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel.26 The rest of the events in Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

27 After Amaziah turned away from the Lord, there was a conspiracy against his life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there.28 They brought his body back on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.[h]

“The art of progress is like practicing music each day and discovering that you actually get better in your work and love for God, inspire of yourself.”~Jon Barnes

Movement

The moving arts teaches you how to practice the right moves in life with God, as seen all around His Universal Creations.Each move that you master helps with learning the next function, fact, and figure to develop in your thinking, loving, and working out your salvation in God.No movement with God means no faith in action and the art in your life will be like your lost soul.

Momentum

Take hold of the momentum God has given you to succeed and don’t give it up for a few dollars.Money means nothing to God.Making the right choices will teach you the art of making and saving money from God’s perspective.Satisfy your soul with Godly substance and artistic value when you maintain your practice schedule of salvation in Christ.

Motion

Don’t let your emotions determine the motion you will take with God and your movements.Let God’s Word and Work teach you how to define True Art in your life, so that your actions will last generations into the future, producing good fruit for God.This perpetual motion, movement, momentum and artwork can be seen in your family’s choices as well.

Today’s Question

Did you choose the Art of God’s love or some other meaningless idea?

Enjoy The Readin

2 Chronicles 12

Egypt Invades Judah

12 But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.2 Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign.3 He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses,[a] and a countless army of foot soldiers, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians.[b]4 Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.

5 The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”

6 Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!”

7 When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem.8 But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”

9 So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.10 King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace.11 Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.

Summary of Rehoboam’s Reign

13 King Rehoboam firmly established himself in Jerusalem and continued to rule. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, a woman from Ammon.14 But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the Lord with all his heart.

15 The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Record of Shemaiah the Prophet and The Record of Iddo the Seer, which are part of the genealogical record. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other.16 When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.

“You don’t have to interpret the Bible, you just have to read it, again, and again, again, until you die and then you would have scratched the surface of what God was teaching you to pass through into the Pearly Gates or Hell!” ~ Jon Barnes

The Collective

Collect all of your thoughts and compare them to what you have read in the Bible and interpret your own life and where you think you fit into God’s plan.If you are alive and breathing, you will fit one way or the other opposite way.In God, nothing is wasted and it all belongs to Him, the good, the bad, the something, the nothing, the beautiful, and the ugly!

The Interpreter

God’s message is simple, but evil will try to change one word in the sentence to derail the true meaning of life, light, and love.It is the job of darkness to hide, omit, or cover up the truth of love in God.It is really not complicated at all.You don’t need me and my stories to confirm your thoughts, feelings, and connection to God.You need yourself to connect with God and interpret your relationship with HIM.I’m just a humble, writing, musical, messenger in love with God, family, life, and you.

The Love

You can love people without lusting after their bodies, spouses, money, power, houses, positions, and stuff.Learn to interpret how to enjoy the walk with God, the fun reading, and the work of faith with prayer, fasting, thanksgiving, and integrity.Your interpretation of yourself and God will line up a lot easier if you follow the steps given by God, not my steps.Don’t follow me.

Today’s Question

Who’s interpretation are you following and does it make good sense to God, when you ask HIM about your faith activities?

Enjoy The Reading

1 Chronicles 17

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

17 When David was settled in his palace, he summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace,[a] but the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant is out there under a tent!”

2 Nathan replied to David, “Do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you.”

3 But that same night God said to Nathan,

4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in.5 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another in a Tabernacle.6 Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s leaders, the shepherds of my people. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

7 “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!9 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past,10 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will defeat all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, I declare that the Lord will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!11 For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.12 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for me. And I will secure his throne forever.13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you.14 I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.’”

15 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

David’s Prayer of Thanks

16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?17 And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great,[b] O Lord God!

18 “What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like.19 For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.

20 “O Lord, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!21 What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way.22 You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.

23 “And now, O Lord, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. May it be a promise that will last forever.24 And may your name be established and honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.

25 “O my God, I have been bold enough to pray to you because you have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him—a dynasty of kings!26 For you are God, O Lord. And you have promised these good things to your servant.27 And now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

“On your watch, it is your responsibility to protect, love, mentor, and keep your family safe, focused and well trained in the ways of God and Love with clear examples, ready for battle at any time!” — Jon Barnes

When

When I was young and in need, I wanted someone to help mentor me and spend some time each day to show, model, explain, re-teach, quiz, and make sure that I understood each message, lesson, and commandment about Love from God.My parents, family, wife, kids, friends, and enemies could only do the best they could do.Time is limited. But, when you learn to ask God to mentor you, then you become among the ones with the best answers in the room, for understanding.

Look Up

People will look up to you for solutions to copy and fix personal problems.Your insight and management skills will train others to do better, when you accept what God is teaching you.Lazy people who refuse to comply to God’s methods will live a lifestyle that says, danger, disaster, problems, roadblocks, greed, wast, and foolishness all over their face.Look up and you will see these people coming, many from your own family.Often times it is you who will be doing the wrong things until you ask God yourself!Look up, seek, and pray!

Destination

In every culture from the beginning of time, someone introduced a wicked practice of disobedience, greed, hatred, envy, laziness, dishonor, lying, cheating, and enslaving others with their hunger for power and injustice. Many have followed this evil. The love of God does not do these things, but His Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray, play, work, and share what we are blessings.Thought history, there are short periods of time in which we listen to God and this actually works well, before it all goes to hell again.

Today’s Question

Will you keep listening to God or will you become distracted with your own agendas of disobedience?

Enjoy The Reading

1 Chronicles 13

Bringing Back the Ark

13 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us.3 Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of[a] it[b] during the reign of Saul.”4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

5 So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.6 David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.

7 They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it.8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.

9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled.10 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

11 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.[c]

12 David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”13 He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.

“Good Ideas are surrounded by good people who practice developing habits of looking, reading, and doing things that are deemed good, by God’s Standards.” ~ Jon Barnes

Notice

Notice how bad ideas tend to be around bad people who practice developing and making others follow bad ideas that are against God’s Standards, Commandments, and Lifestyle Choices. Misery loves this kind of company to control and brainwash participants by stamping their forehead with failure and like-minded behavior.

Observations

Observe the self-destruction negative people bring to the table along with the wasted resources, time, talent, and management of life skills and purpose.Flowing in the opposite direction of God is not the route to take within your surroundings, attitude, solutions, or plans in life. Your Father God will guide you, as you learn from your parent’s success or mistakes in life. Keep your negative ideas, attitude, and stinking thinking in check, so that you can move forward from your lost direction into your purpose in life.

Planning

People who fight God’s planning and organizational skills run away from their purpose or talent and refuse to grow, teach, help, give, or love others with their time, service, and first fruit offerings to God. Love offerings to God are more than just money offerings of increase. Before money was invented, we gave God offering of self-value and real value that was golden, full of silver, or like an altar for food or worship. Your talent for giving came from your surroundings and quality of worth and respect that you placed on your goods and services you choose to Give to God!

Today’s Question

Are you ignoring your Good Surroundings of God’s Love in your life?

Enjoy The Reading

Joshua 15

Allotment for Judah

15 The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south.

2 Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea,3 crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka.4 It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt,ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is their[a] southern boundary.

5 The eastern boundary is the Dead Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan,6 went up to Beth Hoglah and continued north of Beth Arabah to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.7 The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh and came out at En Rogel.8 Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.9 From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim).10 Then it curved westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah.11 It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea.

12 The western boundary is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

13 In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)14 From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak.15 From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.”17 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

18 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him[b] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

19 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev,give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, according to its clans:

21 The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the boundary of Edom were:

45 Ekron, with its surrounding settlements and villages;46 west of Ekron, all that were in the vicinity of Ashdod, together with their villages;47 Ashdod, its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

“We must prove with our faith and actions that God exists in our lives as we live our days in honesty, integrity, and self-worth with God, as He opens up the doors for us to walk through.” ~ Jon Barnes

Seemingly

Many give the impression that they have a secure knowledge of who God is, with an understanding of faith, without doing any homework, reading, or daily practice in their belief. On the surface, it looks like progress is being made, but in their hearts, nothing is there. They do not know God because of their wicked behavior and lifestyle.

Security

Love holds onto the truth about God and it teaches the fruit of the Spirit, with practical everyday movements and actions of wisdom, understanding, and good works. These actions of love taste like good fruit to be harvested, eaten, and shared with others, so that they can learn how to plant, sow, grow, harvest, and reap a reward for their hard work, which is good.

Proof

God continues to prove Himself to all of us who want to know His Love with faith, hope, and action.It is hard to sit still with the truth in your heart and say nothing to help others. If your fruit is not right, then people will not eat it. When you share good tasting fruit, people will receive it. What they do with the fruit is out of your control and God will be the judge. Your job is to deliver the 100% Proof of God’s Love and pass out the fruit.

Today’s Question

Is your love 100% Proof or are you too busy arguing your personal point of view with rotten fruit?

Enjoy The Reading

Joshua 12

Kings Defeated East of the Jordan

12 These are the kings east of the Jordan River who had been killed by the Israelites and whose land was taken. Their territory extended from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon and included all the land east of the Jordan Valley.[a]

2 King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, was defeated. His kingdom included Aroer, on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge to the Jabbok River, which serves as a border for the Ammonites. This territory included the southern half of the territory of Gilead.3 Sihon also controlled the Jordan Valley and regions to the east—from as far north as the Sea of Galilee to as far south as the Dead Sea,[b] including the road to Beth-jeshimoth and southward to the slopes of Pisgah.

4 King Og of Bashan, the last of the Rephaites, lived at Ashtaroth and Edrei.5 He ruled a territory stretching from Mount Hermon to Salecah in the north and to all of Bashan in the east, and westward to the borders of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. This territory included the northern half of Gilead, as far as the boundary of King Sihon of Heshbon.

6 Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites had destroyed the people of King Sihon and King Og. And Moses gave their land as a possession to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Kings Defeated West of the Jordan

7 The following is a list of the kings that Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir. (Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as their possession,8 including the hill country, the western foothills,[c] the Jordan Valley, the mountain slopes, the Judean wilderness, and the Negev. The people who lived in this region were the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.) These are the kings Israel defeated:

9 The king of JerichoThe king of Ai, near Bethel10 The king of JerusalemThe king of Hebron11 The king of JarmuthThe king of Lachish12 The king of EglonThe king of Gezer13 The king of DebirThe king of Geder14 The king of HormahThe king of Arad15 The king of LibnahThe king of Adullam16 The king of MakkedahThe king of Bethel17 The king of TappuahThe king of Hepher18 The king of AphekThe king of Lasharon19 The king of MadonThe king of Hazor20 The king of Shimron-meronThe king of Acshaph21 The king of TaanachThe king of Megiddo22 The king of KedeshThe king of Jokneam in Carmel23 The king of Dor in the town of Naphoth-dor[d]The king of Goyim in Gilgal[e]24 The king of Tirzah.